Monkey Bar Table
Aidan Leitch
Monkey Bar Table
2023
Curtain rods, plywood, woodscrews
Monkey Bar Table is an experiment in parametric industrial design and advanced manufacturing. The table is designed through formula and code instead of CAD and drawing; its form is a function of numeric parameters, such as the box dimensions or density of the bars. The table photographed is specifically optimized for a 24” wide space between my couch and front door. By tweaking these parameters, the project could be customized for a unique space.
This paradigm of design can only be actualized through advanced manufacturing technologies such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC) or 3D printing. In traditional manufacturing, complexity scales with variation of the product. Making two different tables, even if only slightly different, requires two different tools and subsequently twice the cost. Advanced manufacturing technologies like CNC are agnostic to variation. A CNC router can produce a unique table every time with no additional complexity or cost associated with that variation.
I see this ability as a uniquely democratizing power. These technologies allow the user to escape the one-size-fits-all paradigm enforced by traditional manufacturing and have a voice and say in the production of their own goods.
